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Brawn's role at Mercedes not changed by Lauda

Three-time Formula One champion Niki Lauda, left, has joined Mercedes' management team. He's also on board to help Mercedes drivers, including Nico Rosberg, right.

Ross Brawn insists that his role as Mercedes team principal has not been affected by the arrival of Niki Lauda as part of the team's management structure.

Lauda was brought in by Daimler AG to help conclude a Concorde deal with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and help lure driver Lewis Hamilton from McLaren.

“Niki is non-executive chairman, chairman of our board,” said Brawn. “We meet our board several times a year, to discuss the major issues. I think Niki is also going to add a lot of racing experience to the board. The board meetings will probably have a slightly different complexion in the future. And Niki's helping with some of the bigger strategic issues, such as the new commercial agreement with Bernie; obviously Niki had some involvement with persuading Lewis to join us—so those sort of issues but not involved with the day-to-day running of the team.

“I've just a got a new chairman. I had one before, I've got a different one now.”

Brawn also touched on what Hamilton can bring to the team in 2013.

“I think both drivers in the team contribute to developing a team, building a team. We are clearly not achieving the results we want to achieve yet, so we've got some progress we need to make and I think Lewis will be able to contribute a lot to helping us make that progress.

“We obviously believe and we know he's a very very quick driver. This is perhaps a new challenge he's facing of helping a team grow and develop and become more competitive.

“So there's some different aspects, perhaps, to what he's going to face with us and what he's faced at McLaren, which was a pretty complete and rounded team.”